Writing instrument



Oct. 6, 1959 L. RAszL- WRITING INSTRUMENT Filed March 26, 1957 INVENTORLARRY RASZL.

, BY V Ea,

ATTORNEY.

F IG. 6

United States Patent WRITING INSTRUMENT Larry Raszl, Jericho, N.Y.,assignor to Laka Tool and Stamping Company, Westbury, N.Y.

Application March 26, 1957, Serial No. 648,596

'3 Claims. (Cl. 120-42.03)

- instruments.

It is an object of the present invention, as it is the desideratum ofinstruments of this kind, to provide a structural combination ofelements that will facilitate its manufacture by modern mass productiontechniques.

In this way, the instruments resulting from such mass production can bemanufactured in wholesale quantities with the knowledge that each one ofthem and each of their parts is of uniform construction and detail. Theconsequent cost of manufacture and assembly is therefore materiallyreduced.

Keeping this in mind, the present invention is of necessity simple instructural details, requiring relatively few moving elements, yetproviding the important cooperation of operative structures to result inan instrument that is unusually inexpensive and simple in operation.

In carrying out the. objects of the invention, a feature resides in theprovision of a plunger and plunger spring of uniqueconfiguration anddetails, overcoming the costly and cumbersome details of prior artstructures. In the present invention, a single plunger spring ofrelatively small size having but a single leg that acts in cooperationwith but a single area of the writing instrument serves to perform thenecessary guiding and locking operations. This is in distinction to thelarger and more expensive structures of such prior art devices asLiguori Patent No. 2,715,888, wherein the plunger spring must act ondiametrically interior opposite walls or areas of the body of thewriting instrument to provide the necessary stability of parts duringthe guiding and locking operations.

Other and further objects of my invention reside in the structures andarrangements hereinafter more fully described with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a longitudinal section through the assembled writinginstrument constructed in accordance with the teaching of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an exploded View in perspective of the writing instrument.

Fig. 3 is a detail of the upper portion of the instrument with partsthereof broken away.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken alonglines 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken along lines 5-5 of Fig. l. t

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the plunger spring release button.

Referring now to the drawing wherein the writing instrument is generallyidentified by the numeral 10 for broad purposes of identification.Writing instrument 10 comprises an elongated two-part housing 12 and 14that is secured together intermediate its ends by a threaded 2,907,302Patented Oct. 6, 1959 plug 16. The front end of the housing 12, 14 isprovided with an opening 18 to accommodate a writing element tobedescribed, while therear of the housing is provided with an opening 20,through which a plunger, to be described, is adapted to belongitudinally movable.

The plug 16, being cylindrically shaped is knurled at its upper end tobe press-fitted into engagement with .the interior surface of the frontend of the upper or rear portion of the housing 14. The other end ofplug 16 is threaded as at 22 for further engagement with the rearthreaded end 23 of the front portion of the housing 12 as shown in Fig.l. The plug 16 thus serves to secure together the front and rearportions 12 and 14 of the elongated housing. The plug 16 is providedwith an axially extending central opening 24 through which a writingelement 26 extends for longitudinal guided movement within the housing12, 14.

The writing element 26 extends for a substantial portion of the lengthof the elongated housing 12, 14 and has its forward writing end 28 inaxial alignment with the front opening 18 for projection thereto into awriting position. An enlargement or stop 30'i s formed along the lengthof the writing element 26 intermediate its forward tip 28 and the plug16. The enlargement provides a surface on which the rear end of acompressed spring 32 may hear. The other end of the compression spring32 seats against the interior tapered walls of the front portion of thehousing 12. In its compressed condition, the spring 32 normally andconstantly applies a force against the stop 30 that urges the writingelement 26 from its extended or writing position to its retractedposition within the housing, as shown in Fig. 1.' 5

In order to actuate or move the writing element 26 longitudinally withinthe housing from its retracted position as shown in Fig. 1 to aprojected or advanced writing position (not shown), a rear end orlongitudinal portion 34 of the writing element is securely seated withinan axially extending centrally disposed opening 35 defined'in a plunger36.

Plunger 36 has a forward exterior cylindrical surface 37 ofsubstantially the same dimension as the interior of the rear portion 14of the housing, for guiding cooperation during the longitudinal movementof the plunger 36 in the rear of the housing 14. Plunger 36 includesafinger operated extension 38 at its extreme rear end that projectsbeyond and through the rear. opening 20 of the housing 14. The extension38 facilitates manual finger engagement in order to operate the writingelement 26. Intermediate the extension 38 and the enlarged shoulder 37is a body portion 40 having a shoulder 41 that is adapted to cooperatewith the wall defining the rear opening 20. The shoulder servesto-assure only limited longitudinal movement of the plunger 36 outwardlyof the opening 20.

Defined in the plunger 36 is a radialrecess 42 that extendslongitudinally along the plunger body 40 intermediate the ends thereof.Referring to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the recess 42 has a portion44 thereof which is deeper at its rear or one end than at the otherportion 46.

Seated within the recess 42 is a plunger spring generally identified bythe numeral 48 (seeFig. 2). The plunger spring 48 serves as a lockingmember to retain the writing element 26 in its extended or advancedWriting position after the same has been actuated longitudinally in thehousing by the plunger 36. Spring 48 is of relatively short length,composed of resilient material and including a pair of spaced radiallybiased legs 50 and 52. The legs 50 and 52 each being formed of aresilient material, are jointed at a loop or bend 54.

Leg 52, which may be termed the actuator leg, is formed with asubstantially planar surface 56 that terminates in a toe 58 bent at anangle relative thereto. The planar surface 56 is adapted to seat on andalong the substantially planar surface of the shallower recessed portion46 of the radial recess 42 while the toe 58 extends into the deeperrecess 44 and into engagement with the lower corner thereof as seen inFig. l.

The upper leg or locking member 50 being resiliently biased away fromits companion leg 52, is bent upwardly at 60 to define locking surfaces62. The locking surfaces 62 result from the formation of a transverselyex tending shoulder that is narrowed at its central portion, and whichportion extends upwardly still further at 64. Portion 64 then curvesover about itself to form a substantially inverted'U shape. The invertedU shape 64 thus defines a pair of guiding surfaces. One of said guidingsurfaces being on the side adjacent to the locking shoulders 62 and theother being formed on the side of the bent-over portion 64 at 66.

The opposite sides of the two legs 67 and 66 of the inverted U shapedformation 64 serve as pairs of guiding surfaces that cooperate andengagingly co-act with a pair of spaced guide walls 68 and 70 defined asa longi.

tudinal cut-out or opening in the upper portion 14 of thehousing. Theguide means defined in the housing portion 14 by the spaced walls 68 and70 terminates in a transverse, locking means 72 that is adapted toreceive and engagingly co-act with the radially operating transverselocking shoulders 62.

Mounted on the housing on the rear portion 14 thereof is a pocket clip74 that overlays and covers the T shaped guide and lock means of thehousing. The pocket clip is secured in this location by a set oftransversely separated prongs 76 that are adapted to be insertedradially into corresponding holes 77 (Fig. 3), these to be bent inwardlytoward each other in a manner more clearly seen in Fig. 5.

The location of the prongs 76 is of importance in the operation of theinvention. Because the prongs extend into the housing when they are bentinwardly, they lower or depress the locking leg 50 slightly radiallyinward. The depression is of such extent that the locking shoulders 62of the plunger spring 48 are positioned out of rubbing contact orengagement with the interior surface of the housing 14. This provisionthereby completely eliminates the wear that might normally occur if theshoulders 62 were permitted to rub against the housing.

In operation, with the writing element 26 in its retracted position asshown in Fig. l, the plunger 36 is depressed byfinger pressure appliedto it at end 38. The force applied to plunger 36 need only be of suchmagnitude as to overcome the normal force of the spring 32.

As the plunger 36 is depressed, a longitudinally directed force isapplied to the toe 58 of the plunger spring 48. This force istransmitted obliquely along the toe in a direction normally tending tolift the planar surface 56 from its seat in the shallow part of recess42. The result is a squeezing force on the bend 54 that is transmittedto the locking member 50. This squeezing force adds to the normallyradially directed tendency of the leg 50 to space itself from the leg52, resulting in an increased radial movement of the leg 56 toward itsengagement with the guide means and lock means of the housing 14. p

All throughout the longitudinal movement of the plunger 36 the guidesurfaces on the edges of the legs of the inverted U 64, co-act andengage with the walls 68. and 70 to guide the locking shoulders 62 intoengagement with the locking means 72. Because the U shaped bend 64results in at least a plurality of guiding surfaces, each of which arespaced one from the other, while the legs 50 and 52 are retained in therecess 42 from transverse movement relative tothe plunger 36, theplunger in turn is restricted from rotative movement relative to thehousing 14.

Hence the longitudinally spaced guide legs 66 and 67 of the bend 64provide a double bearing engagement between the guide means 68, 70 ofthe housing and the operative plunger 36. This engagement prevents theplunger from rotating within the housing and provides a guidingcooperation therebetween.

As the plunger 36 is depressed longitudinally within the housing toextend the writing end 28 through the opening 18 and into its writingposition, the locking member 50 is also moved to position its lockingshoulders 62 into coincidence with the locking means 72. During thiscontinued longitudinal movement, the shoulders 62 are aligned with thetransverse opening 72 and are radially biased into the confines thereof.

The prongs 76 do not interfere with this radial opera tion of lockingmember 50. Its arm between the bend 6t) and shoulders 62 is sufficientlylong to compensate for degree of the angle that leg 50 assumes by virtueof the prongs 76 when the shoulders 62 are aligned with opening 72.

When once engaged in the opening 72, the plunger spring 48 retains thewriting element 26 in its writing position. This locking action of thespring 48 is enhanced by virtue of the force exerted by the returnspring 32, now compressed. Spring 32 in exerting its longitudinal force,places the shoulders 62 into engagement with the rear walls of theopening 72, creating an increasing engaging force thereat.

In order to release the locking action and cooperation between theplunger spring 48 and the lock means 72 of the housing, it is merelynecessary to apply light manual pressure to a release button 78 mountedin the clip 74. The button 78 extends longitudinally in an accommodatingopening provided in the clip 74 for radial manual finger depression. Theunderside 80 of the button 78 is in constant engagement with thelongitudinally movable bend 64 of the plunger spring. Hence when theplunger spring is moved to its locking position as previously described,the slight inward radial depression of the button 78 moves the lockingshoulders 62 from engagement with the transverse opening 72, therebyreleasing the locking engagement therebetween.

The shoulder 82 (Fig. 6) of the release button prevents its displacementfrom the clip 74 to retain the release button in constant cooperatingengagement with the end 64.

After radial inward movement of the release button 78 against the bend64 to release the locking engagement between the shoulders 62 and thelocking means 72, the constant urging of the compressed spring 32immediately retracts the writing element into the housing. Thisretractive movement is transmitted from the writing element at its rearend portion 34 thereof to the plunger 36. The plunger is thus returnedto its position as shown in Fig. 1 wherein its shoulder 41 seats againstthe wall defining the rear opening 20 of the housing. Throughout thedescribed movement and operation, plunger 36 is constantly properly andnon-rotatably guided by the plurality of longitudinally spaced guidingsurfaces formed along the edges of the legs of the inverted U shapedportion 64.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out thefundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferredembodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions andsubstitutions and changes in the form and details of the deviceillustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in theart, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is theintention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope ofthe claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a writing instrument, a housing having front and rear openings, aninverted substantially T-shaped slot adjacent to said rear opening, awriting element mpvable i said housing for projection at its front. end

through said front opening into a writing position, means normallyurging said writing element from its writing position, a plunger memberin said housing adjacent to its rear opening, said plunger member havingan enlarged shoulder portion guidingly cooperating with the interior ofsaid housing and engaging said writing element for movement therewith, afinger extension extending from said plunger beyond the rear opening andadapted to be actuated to urge the instrument into writing position, anda body portion between said shoulder and finger members, said bodyportion having a shallow recess and a contiguous deep recess, a springmember seated in said shallow recess and extending into said deeprecess, said spring member including a locking leg and a U-shapedportion, said U-shaped portion extending substantially transversely fromsaid locking leg and extending through said T-shaped slot adjacent tothe walls thereof to provide a pair of guiding surfaces when the plungeris actuated and to restrict said plunger from rotative movement relativeto the housing, and means on said housing overlying said U-shapedportion and adapted to release the movable writing element intoretracted position.

2. In a writing instrument, a housing having front and rear openings, aninverted substantially T-shaped slot adjacent to said rear opening, awriting element movable in said housing for projection at its front endthrough said front opening into a writing position, means normallyurging said writing element from its writing position, a plunger memberin said housing adjacent to its rear opening, said plunger member havingan enlarged shoulder portion guidingly cooperating with the interior ofsaid housing and engaging said writing element for movement therewith, afinger extension extending from said plunger beyond the rear opening andadapted to be actuated to urge the element into writing position, and abody portion between said shoulder and finger members, said body portionhaving a shallow recess and a contiguous deep recess, a spring memberseated in said shallow recess and extending into said deep recess, saidspring member including a locking leg and a U-shaped portion, saidU-shaped portion extending substantially transversely from said lockingleg and extending through said T-shaped slot adjacent to the wallsthereof to provide a pair of guiding surfaces when the plunger isactuated andto restrict said plunger from rotative movement relative tothe housing, and means on said housing overlying said U-shaped portionand adapted to release the movable writing element into retractedposition, said spring member including a substantially planar actuatorleg connected to said locking leg in a resiliently biased relation, saidplanar leg seating on and along said shallow recess and a toe memberextending from said planar leg and terminating in said deep recess, saidlocking leg having a transversely extending bent portion adapted toextend through the transverse portion of said T-slot when in latchedposition, and said U-shaped guide portion extending from said bentportion and adapted to extend through the vertical portion of saidT-slot to guide the plunger member.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said release means comprises apocket clip member and prong means extending from said pocket clipmember into said housing and engaging said locking leg whereby saidprong means depresses the locking leg slightly radially inward so thatsaid bent portion of locking leg is positioned out of rubbing contactwith the interior surface of the housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS365,747 Hoffman June 28, 1887 1,097,238 Krell May 19, 1913 2,715,888Liguori Aug. 23, 1955 2,804,048 Sams Aug. 27, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS809,514 Germany July 30, 1951 167,283 Australia Mar. 20, 1956 746,723Great Britain Mar. 21, 1956 1,122,125 France May 14, 1956

